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COURSE CARE

Staff Appreciation
February 27, 2015

Staff Appreciation

By Ty McClellan, Agronomist
October 3, 2008

The 47
th
USGA Senior Women's Amateur Championship was recently hosted at
Tulsa Country Club in Oklahoma. The weather was cooperative for
the duration of the event (a rarity in and of itself), players
praised course conditions, and a great time was had by all. Yet,
none of this would have been possible without a successful team
in place.

The team that I am referring to at this particular event shows
up before sunrise and stays until well after sunset. If this
group is not seen during the day, it is by design. Going
incognito, the course is prepped for morning play and all are out
of sight and out of mind by the time players begin their rounds.
By mid-afternoon when the final group has teed off and play is
well underway, they are back on the grounds tidying up and
preparing the course for the following day. Yes, it is the turf
maintenance staff.

At the conclusion of this particular Championship, staff
appreciation took a unique turn. The entire turf maintenance
team, along with the equipment fleet, were on-hand and positioned
alongside the trophy presentation area. For anyone on the course
management side of the golf industry, it is easy to understand
the significance of such recognition.

Partaking in the awards ceremony was important for two
reasons. First, it helped the maintenance staff understand and
appreciate the reason for their extra long hours and the
necessary attention to detail. Being involved with the ceremony
allowed them to see the fruits of their labor and enjoy the end
results with fellow staff, course officials, and players. For
many on the Tulsa Country Club turf maintenance staff, this type
of recognition, especially at a USGA National Championship, was
something they had never experienced.

Second, it was a great chance for everyone not responsible for
the turf to get a glimpse of what goes into course maintenance
and conditioning. Few understand how many staff and how much
equipment are required for day-to-day course care, and even fewer
realize the extra volunteers and equipment needed to temporarily
produce championship conditions.

It is easy to overlook the staff at the maintenance facility
when it comes time to crown a champion at the conclusion of an
event. The highest of praises commonly go to the tournament
chairman, course president, general manager, golf professional,
chef and/or catering staff as they have all been an intricate
part of the planning and success of such an event. However, by
including the grounds crew at the awards ceremony, it was
impossible to overlook the often forgotten maintenance staff. In
this case, a very real and visual reminder was created.

At the next major event or club championship at your course,
it is hoped that the example provided by Tulsa Country Club will
encourage other facilities to find ways to recognize those truly
behind the scenesâ€¦..the turf maintenance staff.

If you would like more information about a Turf Advisory
Service visit, contact either of the Mid-Continent regional
offices: Ty McClellan at
tmcclellan@usga.org
or (630) 340-5853 or Bud White at
budwhite@usga.org
or (972) 662-1138.